The debate on the covert US operation in Abbottabad to kill Osama bin Laden dominated the Punjab Assembly proceedings on Thursday amid division in the House over the formation of a judicial commission to probe the incident. The House discussed the Abbottabad raid by US special forces as the PPP and the PML-Q opposed the call for setting up a judicial commission to probe the US aggression saying it a lack of trust in parliament, while the PML-N supported the demand made by its chief the other day.
Punjab Minister for Food Chaudhry Ghafoor declared bin Laden the “biggest terrorist” and Pakistan’s enemy, adding that the PML-N chief’s demand for the judicial commission’s probe into his killing the need of hour. MPAs from both, opposition and treasury, were selected to represent their respective party’s point of view. PPP’s Ashraf Sohna said Nawaz should have called the incident a failure of the government and initiated a political struggle, mobilised the masses and taken out a long march against it instead of calling for a judicial probe. He said Nawaz should also announce a long march against the government.
Referring to Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s statements in the recent past asking Taliban not to target Punjab as his government and militants held similar views against former president Pervez Musharraf, Sohna alleged that the PML-N had been accepting funds from terrorists. Arguing that the judiciary must not be involved in controversial issues, he said the judicial commission should have been formed on handing over Aimal Kansi to the US during the PML-N government in 1997 and on the Kargil issue.
He said that the so-called commission should also investigate who brought terrorists to the country from across the world in the name of Afghan jihad. PPP MPA Hasan Murtaza said his party would never support a martial law whether it was imposed by the army or the judiciary. He lamented that those who visited the army leadership in the dark of night were criticising the institutions in the House, a reference to Opposition Leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan’s meetings with army chief Ashfaq Kiyani.
ELECTION: Meanwhile, the Punjab Assembly introduced nine bills including amendments to the rules of procedure in the election of the Punjab chief minister. According to the amendments, for the election of the chief minister, there would be no show of hands, that is, he will be elected with secret balloting. The house also passed a resolution demanding the federal government to clear the outstanding dues pf year 2004-5 of the Punjab government.
